Delta Plus: the Liverpool region with the highest proportion of new COVID-19 mutation

A mutated form of COVID-19 may now account for up to two in five cases in parts of England, research shows.

Officials designated the strain AY.4.2, nicknamed Delta Plus, a “variant under investigation” on October 20.

Scientists have said it may spread more easily than the standard Delta strain, but there is no evidence that it cause more serious illness.

There is also no evidence that the three coronavirus vaccines used in the UK - Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca - are any less effective against the new strain.

Preliminary findings from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, one of the research bodies that works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), show potential hotspots.

Its researchers analysed more than 26,000 positive COVID-19 tests from the week to October 30.

Liverpool is the City Region’s Delta Plus hotspot, with 17.88% of cases estimated to belong to the new strain.

Wirral is the region’s ‘notspot’ with the lowest percentage of COVID-19 cases (7.64%) testing as the Delta Plus variant.

The highest percentage of positive coronavirus tests in England that showed the Delta Plus variant was 41.67% in Mid Devon.

Find out the situation in your area and across the country using our interactive map below.

Here are the statistics for Liverpool City Region from the research for the percentage of COVID cases that were the Delta Plus variant for the week to 30 October.

1. Liverpool - 17.88%
2. Halton - 17.28%
3. Knowlsey - 13.48%
4. Sefton - 9.9%
5. St Helens - 9.24%
6. Wirral - 7.64%